Pyxes



1952 E. J. CONROY 3,050,182

PYXES Filed April 5, 1960 INVENTOR. 0 WARD d. CONROY ATTORNE Y5 iinited States 3,050,182 PYXES Edward J. Conroy, Meriden, Conn., assignor to The International Silver Company, Meriden, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 20,178 4 Claims. (Cl. 20619) The present invention relates to an improved pyx construction for use by the Roman Catholic clergy in carrying and serving the Eucharist, Host, or holy communion wafer to ill persons.

An object of the invention is to provide a pyx having constructional features which enable the pyx to be used with greater ease and convenience in handling the same and thus to assist in carrying out the ceremony of presenting the Host to an ill person. A body or vessel member of the pyx serves to carry and hold the wafer; a cover member when swung open may be positioned to serve as a paten or communion plate portion; and a handle and cover clasp member is preferably designed not only to releasably hold the cover securely when closed, but in addition to assist in bringing the cover member into position to act as a paten and further to provide a convenient handle by which the body and cover of the pyx may be securely held in the intended position for presenting the Host.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pyx having the characteristics outlined above and in which the handle may be released from its cover holding position Without any jarring movement of the cover relative to the body portion, thus substantially minimizing if not eliminating the danger of accidentally spilling or dropping the Wafer or any particles of the wafer.

The above and other related objects and advantages, as well as the novel features of this invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an improved pyx embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan viewof the pyx as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the pyx with the cover open and handle positioned to support the same for presentation of the Host; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pyx as seen in FIG. 3.

The improved pyx as shown comprises an open top, circular vessel or body member 10, a cover member 12, and a clasp and handle member 14, each of these three elements having a hinge leaf to form a composite hinge assembly designated generally by numeral 16. A common pintle 26 interconnects the leaves. The pyx is commonly formed of precious metals such as silver and may be suitably decorated with appropriate religious symbols as indicated by the drawing on the handle surface.

The hinge portion 16 includes a leaf 18 extending from the body 10. Leaf 18 (FIG. 4) is provided with two spaced recesses into which the hinge pin receiving knuckles of the handle member 14 are received as will be described. Three spaced finger portions are thus provided, the two outer or end fingers being dimensionally of the same width and the central finger twice the width of the outer fingers. As best seen in FIG. 4, one outer finger (as the upper finger) and the lower half of the central finger are formed as hinge pin receiving knuckles 20' for the leaf 18. The other central finger portion and remaining outer finger (lower) are formed with beveled ends at 24 (see also FIGS. 1 and 3), the tips of the beveled ends forming abutments to limit pivotal movement of the cover member as will be seen.

Hinge leaf 28 of cover member 12 is coextensive in V I 3,50,182 Patented Aug. 21, 1962 2 width with the leaf 18 (FIG. 4) and is formed with spaced knuckles 30 extending from the .inner edge indicated at 29 of the leaf 28 to receive the hinge pin. Knuckles 30 are disposed in mating position withthe beveled ends 24 of leaf 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 4).

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 the upper surfaces of knuckles 30' are notched as at 31 to form abutments to mate with and contact the abutments formed by the tips of the beveled ends 24. Cover 12 is thus limited in its outward swinging movement from the closed position of FIG. 1 to an open position as shown by FIG. 3. The pivoting of the cover approximates 180 and is preferably somewhat less as shown. In the open position the undersurface of the cover lies in upwardly disposed relation adjacent body portion 10.

Hinge leaf 28 of the cover also provides knuckle abutting portions to limit a separating or outward swinging movement of the handle member 14 relative to the cover. As mentioned above, leaf 28 is coextensive in width with leaf 18, and, as may also be noted from FIG. 4, the lower knuckle 30 being in an end position the inner edge 29' of leaf 28 at each side of the centrally disposed knuckle 30 provides an abutment against which each of the spaced knuckles 34 on the hinge leaf of the handle member are lodged to limit the further independent swing of the handle. As previously noted knuckles 34 of the handle leaf member are received in the spaced recesses of leaf 18.

The hinge leaf at 32 of the handle member is preferably shaped as shown by FIG. 2 and is furthermore angled for an overlying relation of the handle against the cover in its closed position (as shown by FIG. 1). The inner edge from which knuckles 34 project provides an edge for abutting contact against the underside of leaf 18 (FIG. 3) in the fully open condition. This occurs at the same time movement of the cover is limited by the abutment notches 31 against the beveled ends 24.

Abutment of the handle knuckles 34 against the edge of cover leaf 28 is preferably accomplished by forming the knuckles 34 eccentrically of pin 26.- Particularly as the relation of the parts is shown by FIG. 3, it will be appar-j ent that when the handle is swung from an adjacent relation with cover 12 the eccentricity'of knuckles 34 will,

cause them to strike the edge of leaf 28 and-thus limit.

the outward handle swing to a position approximating relative to the cover. Preferably as shown the angular movement is slightly less than 90".

With the arrangement described it is apparent that when the handle is swung from its position of FIG. 1 it may be independently turned upwardly from the closed cover only until the knuckles 34 pick up the leaf 28 at which time further movement is prevented unless the cover also turns on the hinge. Accordingly, further manipulation of the handle to its operative position of FIG. 3 automatically imparts movement to the cover and carries it to the open position of FIG. 3. The phantom showing of the handle and cover indicates this relationship of the parts in handling the pyx in the intended manner.

The preferred relationship of the hinge leaves and knuckles as described thus prevents further opening movement of the handle or cover relative to the body 10. It prevents as well further separation of the handle and cover when in such position.

In open position the pyx is intended to be held with the V handle extending downwardly in an intermediate position between the generally horizontal cover and body as indicated in FIG. 3. The underside of the cover may be extended towards the mouth or chin of the communicant and the Host taken from the vessel member and presented to him, the cover thus serving as a paten. The depending handle position provides a balanced condition when grasped as shown. It will also be realized in the preferred embodiment shown that if the thumb depicted in FIG. 3

were transferred to the body 10 as at the position of a catch piece 38, a slight squeeze between thumb and fingers results in holding the three parts of the pyx interlocked against any relative movement whatsoever.

Closing the pyx may be simply accomplished by swinging the handle 14 upwardly into engagement with the cover 12 and then continuing the swinging movement to close both the cover and handle to the position of FIG. 1. The handle 14 is provided at its free end with a clasp member as the angled catch 36 having a detent to releasably snap over catch piece '38 projecting from body member 10. Releasing the catch thus does not tend to move the cover. If desired the handle member may be mounted to swing without interlocking cover movement and further the handle may be disposed to underlie the body and swing under it to a depending holding position in which case the catch piece may be aflixed to the cover for engagement by an angled catch of the handle when in closed condition.

From FIG. 2 the outline of the handle 14 in the preferred arrangement shown will be seen as less than that of the cover 12. This arrangement facilitates opening the pyx and overcomes a possible danger from an accidental dropping of the pyx or spillage of its contents inasmuch as the body and cover may be firmly grasped at the edges thereof between the fingers and thumb of one hand while the handle 14 is unsnapped with the other hand. When the handle is released, the cover 12 may then be easily swung open without any jarring movement, the grip of the supporting hand being transferred to the sides of the body 10.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pyx comprising an open top body, a cover, a handle, a common hinge pin assembly interconnecting said three members for swinging movement relative to each other with the cover overlying said box and being flanged to seal the open top of said body in the closed condition of the pyx, said handle overlying said. cover in said closed condition and having an outline smaller than that of the cover and a catch member at the free end of the handle extending beyond the cover, said body having a catch piece opposite said hinge releasably engageable by said catch member and holding the cover and handle in their closed positions, said hinge assembly having abutment means limiting swinging movement of said cover relative to said body to an angle approximating 180 for an open position of the cover, abutment means limiting relative swinging movement between said handle and cover to an angle approximating 90 whereby the handle may be employed, after initial opening movement from closed position, to swing said cover to its said open position, and said handle will then be disposed in depending relation below said cover and body, and abutment means limiting further handle movement with respect to said body.

2. A pyx comprising an open top body member, a cover member connected in hinged relation to the body, said cover in a closed position overlying the open top of the body and sealing the same and in a fully open position of the cover lying with the inside cover surface facing upwardly adjacent the open top of the body thereby providing a communion plate portion for the pyx, abutment means limiting hinged opening movement of said cover to said fully open position, a handle and hinge means carrying said handle at one end for pivotal movement of the handle relative to said body, said handle in a closed position nesting with said body and cover members when the cover is closed, and where the cover is in its said open position being movable to a dependent handle supporting position between said body and cover members, said handle in its supporting position being in substantially a right angular relation to each of said members when said cover is in its said open position, and abutment means limiting pivotal movement of said handle to its said dependent handle supporting position.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said handle is a retaining member for releasably securing said body and cover members in said closed nested relation, one of said latter members having a catch piece, and said handle at its free end having a catch releasably engageable with said catch piece in said nested position.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which the catch piece is mounted on said body member and a single hinge pin is also secured on said body, said cover member and handle being pivotally mounted for hinging movement on said single hinge pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 163,359 Chambers et a1 May 18, 1875 1,264,475 Baker Apr. 30, 1918 1,605,215 Carr Nov. 2, 1926 1,657,820 Quigley Nov. 3, 1953 

